Tragic death of man slumped in flower bed as sister said she barely heard from him

08.08.2022 - 11:13 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

A man was found dead in the flower bed at his home - with his sister later saying she only ever heard from him 'when he was in hospital or jail'.

Paul David Moore, who shared a house in Regent Road in Chorley with Jason Phillips, his friend of 30 years, had been a long-term user of heroin reports LancsLive and was being treated with opiate substitute methadone.

The 50-year-old, who was described by his friend as 'generally an unwell person', was found 'slumped in the flower bed' in the evening of February 10 of this year. Paramedics were called but despite attempts to resuscitate Paul he was pronounced dead. The medical cause of death was found to be multiple drug toxicity.

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An inquest at Preston Coroner's Court on Thursday (August 4) heard that Paul, who used a mobility scooter and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, had been seen by his friend earlier that day 'looking drowsy and out of it'. He told Jason he had taken Valium.

"Mr Phillips spoke to him at midday and he seemed fine," Assistant Coroner Kate Bisset read from a statement. "At 4.30pm he seemed a bit drowsy and out of it. He asked him what he had taken and he said Valium.

"Mr Phillips says he stayed with him for a bit and helped him into his bedroom. He then went upstairs and 10 minutes later says he heard a noise and came downstairs. He says 'I saw him slumped in the flower bed'."

Paul's sister Victoria Robinson said in a statement that her brother had been 'a drug user for the majority of his adult life'. "We could go 12 months without him being in touch and he would only get in touch when he was in hospital or custody," she added.

A report from substance